Synopsis:Book 3 in the No Rival seriesKerry has hated Rhys from the moment she set eyes on him. They’ve never had an encounter that didn’t end with them both enraged. Paired up at his brother’s wedding, their clashing personalities come to a head and a daring wager is made. Rhys agrees to submit to Kerry for a single evening if she will do the same. Considering the sexual flavors Rhys has enjoyed in his past, it’s one bet Rhys is sure he can’t lose. But Kerry has a few secrets of her own and her plans for him land Rhys in a place he never expected, the arms of sexy Italian solicitor, Asher D’Ettore.Asher becomes an obsession Rhys can’t shake. His alpha ways and confident mannerisms render all of Rhys’ usual charm useless. With his hard-earned reputation in the media spotlight, Rhys is forced to make a choice between his public persona and true love.Inside Scoop:This sexy tale includes graphic sexual male on male encounters and fetish club references which could have you searching for one in your area.A Romantica® contemporary erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

Awareness
of Asher’s presence at his side never left Rhys. Not for a second. As he’d
predicted, the warehouse where unsanctioned matches were held was packed to
capacity five minutes after they arrived. The sound of fists cracking against
flesh filled the air. People cheered and groaned with each blow depending upon
which side their money rested.

The
winner drew more applause than jeers when it ended. The arm raised in victory
was covered from wrist to collarbone in an intricate tattoo. Shaggy blond hair
dripped with sweat.

“I
believe I have seen that gentleman somewhere before.” At Asher’s statement,
Rhys looked closer at the man in question. He turned his head in their
direction, almost as if he could feel them discussing him. Rhys dipped his chin
in acknowledgment when their eyes met. Kurt returned the gesture.

“You
have.” Rhys’ remark came out sounding dry. “He works the door at Affinity.”

With a
silky chuckle, Asher shrugged. “I suppose it is good I am not as memorable as
you.”

Turning
an incredulous look on Asher, Rhys scoffed. “Are you kidding me? I haven’t been
able to wipe you from my mind since setting eyes on you.”

Asher’s
eyes shined with mirth. “I meant because of your title.” His gaze dropped to
Rhys’ mouth before returning to his eyes. “In every other way, I am
extraordinary.”

“Next
up we have Knox Collier. I hope everyone has their bets in.” The announcement
caused the crowd to push forward. Somehow, Asher ended up at Rhys’ back in the
crush. His brother’s familiar form ducked through the doorway of the cage.

“I
would know you were related even if no one said as much. The two of you look
very similar.” The sound of Asher’s voice floated over Rhys’ shoulder. The heat
of Asher’s skin seeped through his shirt.

“Huh.
I’ve never thought about it.”

Asher
was close enough that Rhys could feel his nod. “The difference is in the
countenance. Yours is charming smiles.”

“And
Knox is hard,” Rhys finished Asher’s thoughts with a nod. “He had to step into
the role of adult at a young age. Rigid living is all he knew before his wife.”

“So
your parents are gone?”

Rhys
nodded. He wasn’t ready to have that conversation. Luckily, Asher didn’t push
for more. He shifted even closer behind him. “My money is on the other guy, by
the way.” Asher’s lips brushed his ear when he spoke.

He
didn’t touch him in any other way. Rhys’ body reacted the same as if Asher had
stroked his shaft. In an attempt to call his body under control, he eyed the
man in question. His hair had been shaved into some strange design on one side
of his head. In spite of his odd appearance, he seemed every bit as fit as
Knox. However, Rhys knew the truth. No one was as vicious.

“You’re
betting against my brother?”

A low
sounding laugh fell from Asher’s lips sending a vibration straight to his
already weeping cock. There wasn’t a chance in hell of Rhys reeling in his
lust. “Not with actual money. Only verbally. The other fellow has a good thirty
pounds on him. Not to mention, his reach is longer.”

It was
true, but Asher had never been to an underground match. He’d also never seen Knox
fight. A smile tugged at Rhys’ lips as Asher’s breath fanned across the side of
his neck. “What if we make it a wager then?” Rhys suggested. Turning his head,
he brought Asher’s face into his line of sight. “If my brother wins, I get to
see you again tomorrow night.”

Asher’s
expression never changed but his eyes darkened. “If he loses, you have to come
home with me tonight and allow me free reign over your body.”

Damned
if Rhys didn’t hope Knox lost. Lowering his gaze to Asher’s mouth, he lingered
there for a moment before answering. “You’re on.”

The
bell rang. Rhys turned away. The awareness of Asher lingered. Knox bounced on
his toes a moment before clipping his opponent across the side of the head. The
crowd pressed closer to the cage in their excitement. Asher’s chest came up
against Rhys’ back. Even with the thunderous cheers and jeers going on around
them, he could hear Asher speaking to him quietly. “Are you hard for me?”

The
horde shuffled forward as Knox’s opponent landed a blow to his shoulder. Asher
used the momentum to his advantage, allowing his hips to cradle Rhys’ ass long
enough for him to feel his desire. Rhys’ skin tightened as chill bumps rose on
his skin. Electricity surged between them. “Answer my question,” he demanded,
showing the alpha side Rhys could not resist. “Are you hard for me?”

Tilting
his chin, Rhys cut his eyes at Asher as he made his admission. “I’m probably
going to have a permanent limp.”

My Review: 5 starsOk, this is the second book that I've read where the main characters are men who fall in love. I have to admit that Charity writes this extremely well, and I really loved the characters - all of them. I have always believed that love is love, and it's no different in this case.Rhys comes back to town for his brother's wedding, and is set up by Kerry. They make a bet and Rhys has every intention of collecting on that bet. Kerry gets her night first and while Rhys thinks he's going to be getting a piece of Kerry, but he ends up with Asher instead. The first thing that I really loved about this was after Rhys and Asher are together, Rhys makes it clear to Asher that what they shared meant something to him. While Rhys is bi-sexual, Asher wants men only. It turns out that they both want each other. Their relationship is hot, and they have some sizzling chemistry together. Both alpha-males, who know what they want out of a relationship. Asher and Rhys truly belonged together, and that's what counts.Everything goes great until Asher makes a mistake, and leaves Rhys thinking the same thing he always does - that no one wants him. It turns out to be a huge misunderstanding that spirals straight into a clusterfuck. While both Asher and Rhys are hurting over the loss of each other, weeks pass by. Finally, Kerry walks into Asher's office and lets him have it once she finds out what he did, and lets him know exactly what she thinks of it. Asher decides to take matters into his own hands and damn, that was amazing. I loved the ending and what was said to bring about that ending. Through reading this book, I discovered that sex between two people who care about each other, no matter is their gender, is and can be fantastic, passionate and sensual as sex between a man and a woman. I liked discovering that about myself. I am looking forward to reading more of Charity's work, as this was so enjoyable for me and opened up a new genre for me to explore.

About Charity Parkerson

Charity Parkerson is an award winning and multi-published author with Ellora's Cave Publishing. Born with no filter from her brain to her mouth, she decided to take this odd quirk and insert it in her characters.